With a Chance of Drama
by RedSoxGal4Life
Summary: Sonny and Chad are finally together, and life is great. But when a girl from Chad's past returns, she brings serious drama to the table. Add in a visit from James Conroy and some major power outages, and you've got a crazy, romantic, heartbreaking story.
1. New Romance

***I do not own Sonny With a Chance***

"So..." Chad laughed awkwardly as he stared into Sonny's eyes.

"So..." Sonny repeated, her hand not wanting to turn the doorknob to her house and end the perfect evening.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Chad whispered, his face slowly moving towards Sonny's. His palms were sweating, and his knees felt weak as he inched closer.

Sonny closed her eyes and waited for the moment she'd been dreaming of for months.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, their lips met.

The second they touched, Chad's heart began beating out of control, and he wrapped his arms around the girl of his dreams and pulled her closer. His heart was flying. Could he really be this lucky?

Sonny felt like she was floating as Chad pulled her towards him. Her whole body felt like it had been struck by lightning: every inch of her felt charged with delight and excitement. She savored every second of his sweet lips on hers, and when he finally pulled away, she moved her head closer to him to make the kiss last just a moment longer.

As Chad pulled away, he could feel the dopey grin he always had when he was around Sonny creep onto his face. This time, however, the grin was mirrored on the beautiful face of the girl he adored. Chad knew he would have stayed there at her doorway for the rest of his life.

"Good night..." Sonny said softly into his ear. She pecked him softly on the cheek and slowly turned away, disappearing behind the door.

Chad felt his hand rising to touch where Sonny had kissed him on the cheek. Was he dreaming? He knew he couldn't be.

That night was better than any dream he had ever had.

_The next morning..._

Sonny floated into her dressing room, her giant smile having not left her face since the night before. She made her way over to her mirror, admiring the perfectly planned outfit she had put together that morning. Sonny was not normally interested in fashion, but she had wanted to look nice for Chad on their first official day as a couple. This meant almost 3 hours of tearing through her closet and searching for the perfect eye shadow, but it was worth it.

"Well you look almost bearable today," Tawni called as she marched into the dressing room. "Please tell me it's not for-"

"Yeah..." Sonny sighed happily, staring shyly at her feet. "It's for Cha-"

"Ugh!" Tawni yelled as she threw her hands in the air. "Of all the men!" Turning on the heels of her much-too-high stilettos, she tore out of the room, giving Sonny a disappointed glare on her way out.

"Oh, well," Sonny chuckled to her self as she flumped onto the fuzzy yellow chaise. Carefully pulling her phone out of her pocket, she dialed the number she had wished she could call a thousand times before.

"Heyy Sonny," Chad's voice cooed through the phone.

"Hey Chad," Sonny giggled. "Can you come to my dre-"

Suddenly, a knock sounded from Sonny's door.

"Chad!" Sonny yelled into the phone as she opened the door. Chad laughed into the phone and didn't say a word. Realizing how stupid she was, Sonny hung up, and Chad followed suit.

"Hello, my lady," Chad smiled as he swept Sonny into his arms. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Sonny echoed as he bent down and gave her a kiss.

"I had to come see you before I started filming today. We're getting new cast members. Lots of drama. So I needed to see my Sonny."

Sonny's grin grew even wider, and she squeezed him tighter. "You can come see me whenever you want. No matter what."

Without a word, Chad bent down again to kiss her. This time, it was passionate and loving, and Sonny felt so complete that she hated when she finally had to stop to breathe.

"I'd better go," Chad whispered. Sonny could detect the sadness in his voice. "I'll see you later." He flashed Sonny her favorite sparkling smile and stepped out into the hallway.

Sonny leaned against the doorjamb and watched him leave. He had a sort of swagger in his walk, and when she first met him she hated it. Now, it was another quality she Chad finally disappeared around the corner, Sonny turned back towards her dressing room.

Could her life get any better?


	2. Old Romance

***I Do Not Own Sonny With a Chance***

"Nice of you to show up, Mr. Cooper," Chad's director yelled as he entered the Mackenzie Falls set. Chad didn't even notice him; he was still reliving the few perfect moments he had just shared with Sonny. He knew that it was only the beginning of their relationship, and the thought of more evenings with Sonny excited him.

Chad hadn't even noticed the giant smile that had grown on his face until the director marched over to him.

"Why are you so happy?" he asked, sarcasim dripping from his voice.

Abruptly awakening from his daydreams, Chad replied, "Oh..no reason. Excited for the new cast, I guess."

The director seemed to like his answer, and he quickly changed his tone. "Well then," he said loudly, "let's bring them out! Everyone, I'd like to introduce you newest castmates: Robert Conroy, who will be playing Philip, Mackenzie's long-lost cousin." A perfectly quaffed boy appeared from behind the stage, his face cold and unemotional as he gave a slight nod to acknowledge the group.

_This won't be so bad_, Chad thought. _This kid is no threat to me. I have nothing to worry about._

"And Scarlet London," the director's voice boomed, "who will be playing Tinsley, Mackenzie's girlfriend from the past."

Chad's entire body froze. _Did he just say...? No, he couldn't have-_

"CHAAAADDDYY!" a perky voice sounded from behind the stage. _Oh dear god._

Scarlet strutted onto the set, her eyes scanning the room until she found him. "Chad, darling!" she chimed as she marched over to him. "How are you?"

"Fine," he managed to choke out. Scarlet London, Chad's only true girlfriend before Sonny, was standing right in front of him. Tall, blonde, and completely heartless, she was the polar opposite of Sonny in every way. He had dated her just as he was beginning his career on Mackenzie Falls, and she had shattered his heart by cheating on him after almost 2 years of being together. He had to be dreaming. She couldn't really be there.

As if reading his mind, Scarlet said, " Yes, it's me. Now give me a hug!"

Chad stood completely still as she walked over and wrapped her arms around him. "I've missed talking to you. We should catch up!"

"They'll be plenty of time for that," the director interjected, finally giving Chad a chance to collect himself. "For now, why don't we just start reading lines."

"Great!" Scarlet cheered. "I've been wanting to work with Chad for quite some time now." She blew Chad a kiss, not seeming to notice how uncomfortable he was.

The director eyed her curiously. "Alright then...Let's just take it from where Mackenzie reunites with Tinsley. Places!"

Finally, Chad was able to make his feet shuffle over to his spot on the set. He grabbed his script from the table and tried to pull himself together and act cool.

Suddenly, a giant clap of thunder sounded from outside the studio, and the entire set went black.

"WELL THIS IS JUST GREAT!" The director's mood was sour once again. "WE CERTAINLY CAN'T READ LINES IN THE DARK! EVERYBODY OUT! I'LL SEE YOU WHEN THE POWER COMES BACK!"

All Chad could think as he was hurried out the door was that the outage was a gift from God. He needed to get away from Scarlet and have a chance to soak in everything that was happening.

Desperate to make sure that he did not run into her on their way out, he quickly shuffled down the hallway towards the So Random! set. If anyone could calm him down, it was Sonny.

Chad pulled out his phone and sent a message to Sonny asking her to meet him at her dressing room. It would be dark, but it would be better than the rain. He received his reply in moments: "C u there! ;~)"

His mood already improving, he continued his winding path through the dark hallways.

"Chad! Wait up!" a voice called from behind him. Chad turned around to see Scarlet's hair moving towards him in he dark. "You weren't trying to ditch me, were you?"

_Yes_, Chad screamed in his head. "Uh, no, of course not. I was just going to see my girlfriend."

"But you promised we'd catch up! I have so much to tell you." Her hand reached over and grabbed his shoulder. "Please, let's go out and talk. We could go visit Yoshi, if you still like sushi..."

Chad fought the urge to slap her hand off him. "Yeah, I guess I stilllike it, but-"

"Great! Let's go!"

Before Chad could protest, he felt himself being pulled back through the halls, crashing into unseen walls several times along the way. "I really have to call my girlfriend and tell her..."

"Oh, she'll figure it out eventually," Scarlet insisted, pushing open the exit doors.

"I guess you're right..." Chad sighed, knowing he wouldn't win this battle. Whatever. He knew Sonny would understand. He had nothing to worry about.

_Right?_

"Soo," Scarlet began as they sat down at the restaurant, "tell me what you've been up to."

Chad cleared his throat. "Well, we're on our fourth season of Mackenzie Falls now-"

"Not that, silly," she chuckled as she slapped him playfully on the arm. "Tell me about this girl. Is she fabulous? Would I know her?"

"Her name's Sonny Monroe. She's on So Random!, the other show that films in our studio. It's very popular. Not as popular as us of course, but pretty popular."

As Chad spoke, Scarlet did several stage yawns and began examining her nails. "Never heard of her. Geez, Cooper. I expected a Tinsdale or a Montana. You disappoint."

"Sonny and I..." Chad searched for the perfect words to describe them. "We just, compliment each other, you know?"

"No, no I don't. Opposites certainly do not attract."

Chad fought back commenting on how she had left him for a quiet, brooding, wanna-be-poet nobody. Not exactly her mirror image.

"We really were each other's perfect match," she continued, her fingers slowly making their way up Chad's arm. "I really miss how easy it was with you. You were the only one who understood me."

"Yeah...we were definitely similar..." The room suddenly seemed very small. Scarlet stared directly into Chad's eyes. "Do you ever think about us getting back together?"

As if his body had detached from his brain, Chad suddenly stood up, his legs crashing into the table. "I have to go," he said awkwardly. "Early day tomorrow." He threw a few hundreds on the table and bolted out of the room.


	3. Hello Again

Sonny sat up from her chair in her dressing room and checked the time on her phone again. She had been sitting there for three and a half hours, and not a word from Chad. Even if he was having trouble navigating through the halls, wouldn't he have at least bothered to call her? She laughed at the thought of him spending another three hours getting dressed to meet her, but she doubted he was still that nervous. 

Suddenly, a wave of terror rushed through her. What if he was in trouble? What if something terrible happened? 

She frantically dialed his number, cursing every ring that went unanswered.  
Finally, he picked up. "Hello?" 

"Chad!" Sonny yelped. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" 

She heard a small chuckle on the other end of the phone. "No Sonny, I'm completely fine. Just getting back to my house now. What's up?" 

Sonny hung up the phone without another word. Her severe panic quickly turned into rage. "He's at HOME!" she screamed to the empty room. He had completely deserted her, even though HE was the one who had asked her to meet him in the first place! Sonny tore around the room, throwing pillows across the floor. 

"Calm down," she said quietly to herself. "I'll wait and let him explain in the morning."  
Having no further reason to stay there, Sonny left her dressing room and started making her way towards the exit.

Just as she turned the doorknob, she felt a hand touching her from behind. "GAAAH!" she screamed, turning to see what had grabbed her in the darkness. 

"Whoah, Sonny, chill. It's me. James." He slowly stepped into the light, revealing his tall, masculine frame. 

"James...Conroy?" Sonny sputtered out. What on earth... 

"Yeah. My brother's filming on Mack' Falls now. It's sort of a Conroy legacy, ya know?" 

Sonny was still completely disoriented. "So, why are you here?" 

He laughed slightly and stepped closer to Sonny. "Well, I knew you'd be here, so I tagged along." He stepped forward again, so their bodies were practically touching. "I came to ask you to come out with me. I'm different now. You changed me. You're special. I don't know why I didn't see that before." 

"Ha!" Sonny scoffed, pushing him away. "How many girls have you used that one on?" 

"Just one," he insisted, flashing her his patented bad-boy smile. 

Sonny fake-smiled in return. "Well, unfortunately, I am in a relationship now, so I'll have to pass." She turned away and headed towards the parking lot, where her mom was waiting for her. 

"Wait!" James called. He jogged over to her. "If you change your mind," he placed a small piece of paper in her hand, "give me a call." He winked at her and slowly turned away, heading back into the studio. 

Sonny opened the paper. She read his number and rolled her eyes, stuffing it into her pocket without a second thought. 

What good was James when she had Chad?


	4. Caught

***I Do Not Own Sonny With a Chance***

Chad walked slowly into the studio the next morning, completely exhausted from not having slept the night before. He couldn't stop thinking about all that had happened with Scarlet. What _had_ happened? It had seemed normal enough at first, but then it all went...strange.

_Maybe I'm overreacting_, Chad thought. _Scarlet wouldn't try to hit on me, she knows I'm with Sonny. She's not that kind of girl._

_Right?_

Determined to put the whole situation in the back of his mind, He checked his watch: 8:30. He had a half an hour before rehearsal started up again. Just enough time to visit his Sonny.

"Sonny!" he called as he rapped on her dressing room door. "You there?"

The door opened slowly, revealing Sonny's slender frame. She looked absolutely beautiful, save the angry, annoyed look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Chad asked as he leaned in for a kiss.

Sonny turned away, ignoring him. "Do you remember calling me yesterday?"

Chad smiled. "Of course. I remember every conversation I have with you." He tried putting his arms around her waist, but again she avoided his touch.

"Then you won't mind if I ask...WHERE WERE YOU?"

Chad's face grew pale. "Oh..." He didn't know what to say. "I thought you'd just realize-"

"What? That you wouldn't show?" Sonny's face grew red. "You're right, Chad. I should have known. I should have known that you would always make it about you and not care about anyone else at all. I have to go film. Just get out of my way." She shoved him to the side and marched down the hall.

"Sonny, wait!" Chad called after her, but his feet were still stuck at the doorway. She was right, and he knew it. But he was Chad Dylan Cooper. He didn't just admit to being wrong.

"PLACES PEOPLE!" Chad's director boomed.

Chad took a deep breath and took his place on set. He had carefully snuck in without anyone, including Scarlet, noticing him. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to Scarlet, especially after the moment he just had with Sonny.

"ACTION!"

"We can't keep fighting this, Mackenzie." Scarlet said softly as she crossed the set towards him.

Chad sighed. "Tinsley, I'm with Chloe now. We can never be together." 

Scarlet batted her eyelashes and stepped closer. "Then can I have just one kiss goodbye?"

Chad leaned in towards her, creating the perfect dramatic build-up every stage kiss has.

Suddenly, everything went black.

The whole room was silent for a moment, and Chad quickly stepped away from Scarlet.

"ALRIGHT EVERYONE!" the director boomed through the dark. "I JUST GOT A TEXT SAYING THAT THE JANITORS BROKE A WIRE IN THE ELECTRICAL ROOM WHILE TRYING TO REPAIR SOME WATER DAMAGE FROM YESTERDAY'S STORM." Chad felt his ears growing numb. "HANG TIGHT IN THE STUDIO SOMEWHERE, IT SHOULD BE FIXED IN A BIT."

Chad fumbled through the darkness and eventually made it to his dressing room.

Suddenly, he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket, so he pulled it out and read the text he had received:

FROM: Sonny MonroeI'm so sorry. Please meet me at your dressing room. I want to talk. See you soon. 3

Chad was ecstatic. Everything was going to be fine. She wanted to see him! He paced back and forth, crashing into several pieces of furniture in the process. Eventually he just sat down in a chair and waited anxiously.

A few minutes later, the door opened behind him, and Chad knew she was there. He could feel her presence inch closer and closer to him, even though he couldn't see anything around him.

Without a word, her body found his in the dark, and she pressed her lips on his. Her small body fell on top of his, and he cradled her in his lap.

Chad held Sonny close and kissed her fiercely, moving his hands up and down her back. She tasted sweet and different, like she had bought new lip gloss or changed her toothpaste. It was not an unpleasant change.

Suddenly, the lights flickered on, lighting the room at the exact moment Chad's dressing room door opened.

"Chad I came to apologize-" Sonny's voice said as she marched into the room. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the scene before her.

Upon hearing Sonny's voice, Chad stopped kissing and opened his eyes. "What did you say, baby?"

"Oh nothing," Sonny barked, crossing her arms. "Nothing at all."

After a moment, Chad finally processed what was in front of him: two women, one beautiful, furious brunette, and one stupid, confused blonde, were staring at him, waiting for him to say something. Only he was holding the wrong girl in his arms.

"SCARLET!" Chad growled, pushing her off of him and standing up.

"Was this why you blew me off yesterday?" Sonny whimpered, her voice giving her emotions away.

"No!" Chad sputtered. "I mean, yes, but not really because-"

"Well, which is it?" Sonny interrupted.

"I thought you said you guys were over..." Scarlet said, wrapping both of her arms around Chad's arm.

"WHAT?" Chad yelled, slapping Scarlet away. "Sonny, I never said that."

"Whatever, Chad. You go right ahead and continue whatever you were doing, because the blonde's right: we are SO over." Sonny turned away and ran out the door, slamming it behind her.

"Sonny, wait!" Chad called after her, heading towards the door.

"Chad, she's gone." Scarlet grabbed Chad's arm, pulling him back. "You're not really going to go chasing after her are you?"

"Of course, Scarlet. Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you are Chad Dylan Cooper for crying out loud! You are way better than that random, big-pored girl! You need someone who you can relate to. Someone you have history with." She pulled him closer. "Someone like me." Her face very serious, Scarlet leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek.

Chad shoved her off of him. "You know what you did, Scarlet. You knew I thought you were Sonny. I will never be with a snake like you ever again."

"Oh please, Chad. Don't act like you didn't recognize who I was. You wanted to kiss me. And I wanted to kiss you."

Without a word, Chad turned and bolted out of the room, determined to find Sonny and get away from crazy Scarlet.


	5. Moving On

***I Do Not Own Sonny With a Chance***

Sonny ran through the narrow hallways, tears flowing down her face and blurring her vision. All she wanted was to get away from everything; from Chad, from the studio, from anything that reminded her of her giant mistake. Why had she been so stupid? Why had she thought Chad was different?

She eventually reached her dressing room, and she quickly grabbed her purse and rushed toward the door. The last thing she needed was Chad to find her and try to fool her with another lie.

"Where's the fire?" a voice laughed from the hallway.

Sonny turned to see James, holding a large bouquet of flowers, standing in front of her.

Upon seeing her face, James's smile faded. "Sonny, what's going on?"

"Nothing," Sonny sniffled. She tried to wipe her tears away, but just ended up smearing her makeup. "What do you want?"

"I was just wondering if you changed your mind." He lifted the bouquet in front of her. "These are for you."

Sonny's mind was reeling. She was completely heartbroken over Chad, and yet...there was James, a handsome, cool boy right in front of her who bought her flowers and seemed to have really changed. Maybe he really was different. He certainly never looked at her that way before.

Then Sonny thought of Chad, and how he was probably already hooking up with the blonde she had caught him with. Sonny could picture them sitting together in the cafeteria and being gossiped about in every tween magazine. And then she saw herself, lonely and wallowing over a lost relationship, unwilling to move on. It was not a pretty picture.

For the first time in her life, Sonny was impulsive. "You know, James? I have changed my mind. Pick me up at eight. We'll see where this goes." She snatched the flowers from his hands and kissed him on the cheek. "See you soon," she giggled with a sly wink.

Loving the shocked smile James had plastered on his face, Sonny walked away, her peppy swing beginning to return to her step.

_If Chad can move on quickly, so can I._

* * * Chad stood with his mouth agape, not believing what he had just seen.

He had sprinted to Sonny's dressing room, only to find her kissing James Conroy, of all people! She clearly was not as upset about their breakup as he was, meaning she must not have cared for him as deeply as he cared for her.

_She already had a back up ready, for Pete's sake! _Chad thought to himself. What had he been doing all this time? Wasting his energy on a girl who was only dating him out of convenience?

Not making a sound, Chad quickly jumped behind the wall to avoid being seen. He certainly did not want Sonny to see him now; he was done chasing after her.

_Scarlet was right. _It all suddenly clicked. He wasn't being himself. He wasn't being the Chad Cooper that every girl in America swooned over. He had to go back to the confident, self absorbed person he had always been. Maybe Scarlet wasn't so bad. She definitely was treating him better than Sonny at the moment.

Pulling out his cell phone, Chad quickly dialed Scarlet's number.

"Changed your mind already?"

"I figured you deserved another chance with me. I can imagine how stupid you must feel. I mean, who would break up with CDC?"

Scarlet's shrill laughter echoed through the phone. "You sound more like the Chad I know already. See? That breakup did you wonders. Pick me up at eight!"

"See you there," Chad replied in his best seductive voice.

Chad walked back down the hall, his confident swagger growing as he went.

_If Sonny can move on quickly, so can I._


	6. Getting Ready

***I Do Not Own Sonny With a Chance***

_Two weeks later..._ "More flowers?" Sonny groaned to herself as she spied the bouquet at the dressing room door. Since the moment she accepted James's date offer, a steady flow of sweet-smelling arrangements had arrived at her door every morning when she arrived and every afternoon before she left. It was a sweet gesture at first, but now it was simply annoying.

_He's your boyfriend now_, Sonny yelled at herself. _He cares about you a lot. Why do you have to be so cranky?_

Her first (well, not really) date with James a few weeks ago was everything she hoped it would be: he took her out to dinner at a beautiful restaurant, held the door open for her, complimented everything she did, and was such a gentleman that he only hugged her goodnight. That night had been followed by many others, Sonny's phone constantly ringing with invitations to go to a Lakers game or surfing with James. She joked about how he could not possibly be two-timing her, because they hardly spent a moment apart.

So, it was only natural that he would want to be exclusive with her. And it was only natural that she would agree.

Then why was she so annoyed with him?

She definitely loved his new attitude, and he was undeniably gorgeous. He was the perfect guy, and he was absolutely mad for her.

Unlike Chad, Sonny thought, but she quickly cursed herself for thinking of him. If there was one thing she adored about the new James, it was that he was the complete opposite of Chad: he was humble, sweet, and always thought of her and her needs. He was the farthest from self-absorbed; he once told Sonny that he didn't even have a mirror in his house.

Sighing quietly, Sonny picked up the bouquet and read the card tucked beside the flowers:

_You grow more beautiful every day, and it's amazing that I get to call you my girlfriend._

Sonny groaned at the cheesy message and read on:

_Please join me in celebrating my brother's birthday tonight. You won't have to go far; I'll pick you up at 7 to escort you to the Mackenzie __Falls set (where the festivities will be held). Wear whatever you want - I know you'll be heartbreakingly gorgeous in _

Mackenzie Falls? Sonny's heart sank. She hadn't thought of that stupid show since the break up with Chad. If she went to the party, it was absolutely certain that she would run into him and his bimbo girlfriend. She wasn't scared of them or anything, but that didn't mean she wanted to see her ex making googly-eyes at some girl all evening. Sonny would just have to tell James she couldn't make it.

"Wait a second!" Sonny humpfed. "I've moved on! Why should I give up a fun night with my boyfriend just so I don't have to face tension with a loser like Chad?"

As if hearing her change her mind, Sonny suddenly felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She looked at who was calling, though she was already certain who it was.

"Hi James."

"Hey Son," James replied. Sonny absolutely despised her new nickname. It sounded like he was her father: not a very romantic image. "Did you get the flowers?"

"Yea, I'm pretty used to it by now..." she laughed. "And yes, I would love to go to the Mack Falls party with you."

"Cool." James never was very chatty. "See you there."

Sonny hung up and ran to her closet. She had to get the hottest outfit she could find and make sure her hair was perfect. She was going to be totally hot. She was going to march into the party with a handsome boy by her side and she would show Mr. Dylan Cooper exactly how royally he screwed up.

_A few hours later…_

"Chad, darling!" Scarlet yelled as she rapped on Chad's door. "The party is about to start, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, just a minute!" Chad called, trying to pull himself together. He looked at himself in the mirror, surprised by the scared, uncertain guy staring back at him. _Why am I so nervous?_ He was completely over Sonny, that was for certain. The past few weeks with Scarlet had proved that.

After Chad had forgiven Scarlet for the Sonny fiasco, they had spent every spare moment together. Chad had even convinced the Mack Falls writers to rekindle Mackenzie and Tinsley's relationship, since they would now have so much chemistry. They were the talk of every magazine: "Charlet" rivaled Zanessa and Brangelina for most popular match. Scarlet was stunningly beautiful, and together they made a perfect power couple. He was the exact confident, self-obsessed person he used to be, and it felt completely comfortable and easy.

Opening the door to let Scarlet in, Chad suddenly felt her body crash into his.

"I missed you baby," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She began kissing him furiously, pushing him back through the doorway into the dressing room and slamming the door behind them.

"We just saw each other fifteen minutes ago," Chad scoffed, trying to push her off of him. He had come to discover that Scarlet really loved kissing; everywhere they went, she insisted on stopping and making out, and consequently they very rarely did anything else. Almost every picture of them in the tabloids involved some form of lip-locking; half the time you couldn't even see Chad's face. It was every guy's dream, and yet sometimes he wished they could just relax and talk.

"Mm, but you look even hotter now," she insisted, ignoring his attempts to shove her away.

"You look, uh, nice," Chad mumbled, finally looking at her outfit. She was wearing a dangerously short black and red dress which showed an insane amount of cleavage and drew attention to her long, bare legs. Her face was hidden behind a circus clown amount of makeup, her pale blue eyes piercing through a sea of black eye shadow. "Don't you think you'll be a little, I don't know, cold?"

Scarlet laughed, seeing his uneasy expression. " What, are you afraid some big, tough guy is gonna steal me away?"

Chad gave a slight smile, heading towards the door. "No, of course not." He could already picture Sonny's envious eyes when she saw the hot girl he was with now. It would serve her right for running to James without even giving him another chance. She'll see how mad he was for Scarlet, and she'll know just how giant her mistake was. "You look exactly how I want my girlfriend to look. Let's go."


	7. Night Out

Sonny could hear the music thumping from inside the set as she walked hesitantly towards the door. The flouncy skirt of her dress swayed perfectly by her sides, and she knew she had picked the perfect outfit. It was a simple, purple retro party dress that hugged her curves and revealed the perfect amount of her tan skin. She had tortured her hair until it sat in perfect, elegant waves, and even she was blown away by how great she looked.

James stepped in front of her and held the door open. "After you, beautiful," he said, waving her through like a doorman. 

"Why thank you," Sonny giggled, stepping inside. _This isn't so bad_, Sonny thought, _I can do this_.

The entire set had been transformed into a high-class nightclub, with bright, multicolored lights and a giant dance floor in the center of the room. The party was filled with beautiful A-Listers, and Sonny was extremely excited to become a part of the crowd. 

She felt a small smile forming as she looked around the room, but it was stopped when her eyes met with Chad's across the dance floor. Her whole body froze, unsure of what to do. 

Suddenly, Sonny felt James wrap his arm around her waist, and her confidence returned. She kissed him lightly on the lips as he led her into the party. Why would she care about Chad when she had this? 

Chad could feel his mind go numb, unable to think or do anything. He just stood there like an idiot and watched Sonny waltz into the room with her back-up beau.

"She's beautiful," Chad heard himself saying. 

"What?" Scarlet yelled, not able to hear him over the music. 

Chad snapped himself back into reality. "I said you're beautiful!" he screamed back. 

Scarlet gave her normal fat kiss in reply, posing for cameras all the while. ""You're pretty perfect too," she yelled in his ear. 

Chad gave her a small hug and she began to inch him onto the dance floor. Who needed Sonny when he had this great girl?

"Let's dance!" James said into Sonny's ear, bringing her into the center of the swirling mass of bodies. Sonny followed his lead, carefully dodging flinging arms and spinning stars the whole way. 

When it seemed like James was satisfied with their position, he turned to Sonny and began to... 

_What _is_ that?_ Sonny stood perfectly still, trying to understand what was happening. _Is he supposed to be...dancing?_ She watched with her mouth agape as James began thrusting his arms around like a crazy person and failing to breakdance. 

Sonny looked around to see several people beginning to gather and stare, including Chad and his trophy blonde. 

"Whoa, man," Chad laughed, putting his hand on James's shoulder. "Where'd you get those moves?" 

"I guess it's just my natural cool," James shrugged, stopping (thankfully) to wrap his arm around Sonny's neck. 

Chad chuckled, supressing his laughter. "I can tell. How have you been, James?" 

"Fantastic," he replied, "but who wouldn't be when they're with Sonny?" He gave her a light peck on the cheek, but she didn't react.

"Until she dumps you," Chad coughed, his hurt beginning to resurface. 

"Excuse me?" Sonny fake-smiled. "What did you say?" 

"Uh, nothing." Chad was taken aback. He never expected Sonny to talk to him, though perhaps she was just putting on an act for her boyfriend.

Scarlet bumped him with her hip, reminding him that she was there. "Oh! James, Sonny," his voice slightly wavering when he said her name, "I'd like you to meet Scarlet, my _very_ serious girlfriend."

Chad watched Sonny's face carefully, but to his extreme disappointment, she didn't react. 

_Uh, could she put some clothes on?_ Sonny screamed in her head. As shallow as Chad was, Sonny never pictured him liking a tramp like that! She nodded her head in phony recognition, surprised by how great her own acting was.

James smiled a huge smile as he reached out to shake Scarlet's hand. "I've seen you around the Mack Falls set once or twice. I don't expect you to remember me." 

"Remember you? Who could forget the greatest bad boy on Mackenzie Falls?" Scarlet giggled shyly. "I saw you dancing a minute ago. You're a lucky girl, Sonny: my Chaddy here refuses to dance." She put his hand on his shoulder and leaned on him teasingly. 

Sonny's mind flashed back to when she had danced with Chad at their makeshift prom so long ago. Nothing had gone how she had planned that night, and yet that one dance had made it completely magical. She could still smell his patented Whiff of Chad cologne that he had sprayed all over him that evening. 

Sonny gave a small sigh, surprised by how quickly things had changed. 

Chad, too, was thinking of that night. As much as he loathed dancing, he would have stayed there swaying with Sonny in his arms for the rest of his life. He remembered thinking about how he had never been that close to her; how he savored every second. She was the greatest girl he had ever met, even in her terrible dress. This was, of course, before he found out who she really was. 

"Well, I'll be happy to share my expertise, if you're up for it." James' voice brought them both back to the present as he offered his arm to Scarlet. 

"Sure." Scarlet grabbed his arm and allowed him to lead her through the dance floor, and Sonny and Chad were left standing awkwardly in the center. 

Chad looked down at Sonny, his heart aching at how beautiful she looked. Her long, brown locks framed her porcelain face, and for a moment he completely forgot that he hated her. Instead his heart began the familiar thump-thumping he used to know, and it took him a second to remember how she had torn his heart to pieces.

Chad was so caught up in his own confused emotions that he didn't realize how creepy he  
must have seemed - that is, until Sonny awkwardly waved and began to walk away from him. Around them, Chad watched the swirling mass of dancers pair up, and he realized the music had slowed.

And then, as if his body had detached from his brain, Chad reached out and grabbed Sonny's arm. There was no breathing. No thinking. Just action. 

Sonny's heart jumped as she was pulled back towards Chad. What was he doing? She felt a jolt as his skin touched hers, but she took it as anger from being tugged. As she turned and looked at Chad, she was surprised by his expression: it was different and, frankly, mysterious. 

"Dance with me," Chad heard himself saying. He hesitantly reached for her waist and, to his surprise, she didn't push him away. 

Sonny felt Chad pull her towards him, and, for some odd reason, she didn't mind. Their bodies joined the other circling couples, falling into perfect rhythm. Sonny slowly reached her arms up around his neck, still uncertain of what was happening. 

"I thought you said you couldn't dance," she laughed, hoping that talking would keep her from losing it.

"I said I didn't, not that I couldn't. And who would give up the chance to dance with you?" 

Sonny could feel her cheeks growing red. Chad's voice was so soft and sincere that she felt like the most important girl in the world. 

She quickly snapped herself out of it. They were both in relationships. Chad had cheated on her. What was she doing? What was he doing? 

What were they doing? 

Chad's eyes were glued on Sonny's face, unable to look away. All thoughts of Scarlet disappeared as the circled their way around the floor. Instead, Chad's mind was filled with thoughts of his hands around Sonny's waist, and how beautifully kissable her lips looked. 

Chad racked his brain for something else to say, something that would make his heart stop beating out of his chest. "Sonny..." he said softly, his tongue turning to mush. He felt his head begin to inch toward hers, his eyes beginning to close. 

Sonny felt herself move her head towards his, her mind growing fuzzy. 

For the first time in what seemed like forever, Sonny thought of James. It was then she realized what was happening. 

"Chad!" she said suddenly, pushing his chest. She kept her arms outstretched, her mind spinning out of control. Her gaze lowered to the floor. "...Scarlet...James..." She felt a chill as she said his name. James was absolutely perfect, and how did she thank him? By almost...her body felt sick thinking about it. 

Chad's heart sank. He knew she would never treat James that way, especially after the whole Scarlet thing. And Chad would never treat Scarlet that way, for that matter. He had a fantastic girlfriend, and she seemed very happy with her boyfriend. What just happened was nostalgia, nothing more. 

Chad looked around the room, searching for Scarlet and James. He scanned the faces of every pair, but he could not find them. "Do you see them anywhere?" 

"I'll check the girl's bathroom," Sonny offered. She would do anything for a moment to breathe away from Chad, even search for his cheap girlfriend.

"Cool. I'll check the boy's." Chad followed Sonny as she made her way over to the hallway where the bathrooms were located. 

_Perfect_, Sonny sighed to herself. 

Sonny marched toward the door, hoping she would just open the door and find Scarlet washing her hands. Then, she could reunite with Chad and Sonny could go home and forget this whole evening. 

If only that happened, instead of what did. 

Sonny pushed open the door, storming in and looking around the dark room. She flipped on the lights, her eyes catching sight of a couple making out in the corner. 

"Oops!" she began, "Sorry, I was just looking for-" 

And then the couple turned, revealing their faces. 

"James?"


	8. The Truth Comes Out

There they were, James and Scarlet, pressed against each other with hair disheveled, staring back at Sonny as her world began to fall apart.

"But…James…" She could barely get the words out of her mouth. "Why? How? How could you do this?"

His face, as cool and overconfident as ever, gave a slight smile and said, "You've known me a while now. You knew who I was. Did you honestly expect me to change? I mean, look at her!" His arms never left Scarlet's waist, and it certainly looked like he had no intentions of moving. "Who wouldn't jump at the chance to be with her? Clearly not your ex-boyfriend."

Sonny's face felt like clay. This couldn't really be happening. Not again. Not like this, in a bathroom at some stupid party. What was wrong with her? Was she that horrible, that her boyfriends had no choice but to seize any opportunity to trade up? Did no one care about her? Was there no man on Earth that was immune to this skank's man-stealing charms?

Sonny could tell that the pair was expecting her to say something, but it took all of the strength she had to simply remain standing…and breathing. Consequently, the three stood in silence for several moments before Chad came bursting through the door.

Upon seeing the couple in their compromising position, Chad only shrugged. "Perhaps I should be more surprised…but I'm not. Once a cheater, always a cheater, and it seems as though both of you have proved that theory perfectly." Both Scarlet and James seemed to be taken aback by Chad's words, but to be honest, Chad couldn't have cared less about them. He was more concerned with the perfect girl standing beside him in the doorway, slowly crumbling before his very eyes. He looked down at her, his heart breaking when he saw the first tear begin to trickle down her face. After losing two men to the woman in front of her, Chad knew that Sonny had to be completely shattered on the inside. He would have given anything to make her pain go away.

Finally, James and Scarlet released one another, and Scarlet quickly rushed over to Chad.

"Oh, my darling!" she cried. "You can't be upset! Please don't just give up on us. We belong together. I've always cared about you, and I always will care about you. Little problems like this don't just end relationships. They help make them stronger." She began to reach out to him, her mouth in a deep pout. Her arms slowly wrapped around his neck, and Chad's entire body stiffened. "Please baby. Don't make this a bigger deal than it is. I really really care about you."

James, no longer having anything to hide behind, simply shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged at Sonny. "To be honest, I was never that into you anyway."

Time seemed to stop for a moment as those words left James' mouth. Everyone, even Scarlet, gave a slight gasp. His voice was so cold, so biting, that no one seemed to know what to do. Sonny's face showed no emotion, until finally she turned and bolted out of the room.

"Alright, THAT'S IT!" Chad growled, shoving Scarlet off of him and marching towards James. It only took one strong punch to send him hurdling toward the wall, cradling his once-perfect face.

Scarlet ran to James' side, kneeling next to him to examine the wound.

"You will never come near Sonny or anyone else in this studio again," Chad said darkly, massaging his hand. He began to make his way out, turning once more to look back at the pathetic pair of liars. "By the way, Scarlet, we're done, in case I wasn't clear."

The horrified, disbelieving look on Scarlet's face made Chad smile for the first time in what seemed like forever. He left the bathroom without another word, leaving James to nurse his injury and Scarlet to kiss him until he got better. Those two were truly the perfect couple, now that he thought about it. Both were beautiful, horrible, and disloyal. They definitely deserved each other. Chad found it surprisingly simple to just cast them out of his mind, not giving them a second thought. For now, Chad had more important things to worry about: the girl he was meant to be with was distraught, heartbroken, and in desperate need of some comfort, even if it came from her horrid ex-boyfriend.


	9. The Aftermath

Sonny could feel the hot tears begin to pour down her face as she ran through the crowd towards the door. Her vision blurred, she bumped into several people, and she mumbled her apologies as she fought to keep control. A heel of one of her shoes broke off, but she just kept running in an awkward, lopsided sprint. At last, she reached the door and dashed into the hallway, barely making it around the corner before throwing herself against the wall. Gasping for breath, Sonny finally let her feelings out, crying loudly as she slowly slid down the smooth surface of the wall. Eventually she found herself sitting on the floor, and Sonny continued her weeping, burying her head in her hands.

_I was never that into you anyway. _The words kept replaying in her mind like a bad 80's song. To have been cheated on again was too much for Sonny to bear. She found herself flashing back to when she found Chad in the act, and cried at how stupid she'd been. She'd lost two men, the first the most incredible boyfriend she had ever known, and the second…had proved himself terrible twice now.

"What's wrong with me?" What was Sonny doing wrong? Falling for guys too quickly? Choosing them incorrectly, time and time again?

"Absolutely nothing," Sonny heard a voice answer. She looked up from her hands. Chad.

She scoffed half heartedly before returning her glance to the floor. "You seemed to find a few qualities I was missing. Good thing Scarlet was able to fill my shoes so well."

"No one could ever, ever fill your shoes, Sonny."

"Of course you would say that, now that you caught your girlfriend with another guy. How superior I must seem to you now that your other option is no longer available. Just go away Chad. Leave me here to wallow in my self-pity."

Chad watched as Sonny returned her face to her hands. Her hair was in disarray from her sprint across the dance floor, and her mascara was smeared about her face from her tears, but Chad still thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. "Alright, time to get you home." He bent down and reached for her hands to hoist her up.

Sonny looked up meekly, pulling her hands away and refusing to move. "I don't need your help, Chad. I intend to stay here for as long as _I_ wish to, not until _you_ feel I should leave."

Frowning at her stubbornness, Chad thought for a moment. "Okay, Sonny, you win. Don't move."

"Thank you," she sighed, not even turning to look at him.

In one quick move, Chad had his arm around her back and under her legs and hoisted her entire body into the air.

Sonny squealed in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"You said you didn't want to move," Chad replied, beginning to carry her toward the exit. "So, I solved the problem."

"Put me down! You have no right to do this. PUT ME DOWN!"

Chad chuckled confidently. "Sorry, can't have that." He wasn't the least bit annoyed by Sonny's high-pitched whining, or the fact that she was tearing at his arms and chest in her attempt to break free. He simply ignored her as he placed her in his car and drove her to her apartment.

_Why is Chad doing this?_ Sonny wondered as he carried her to her door (she was of course too stubborn to leave the car once they had reached her apartment building). _Now that his perky, dim-witted blonde is gone, he must be fresh out of women to date, and is just trying to recycle the ones he's already been through. _She chuckled to herself. _Fat chance._

"Here we are," Chad's voice declared, interrupting Sonny's thoughts. He set her down gently in the doorway, carefully taking the key from her hand and unlocking the door for her.

He still drove me all the way home, Sonny thought as she looked into his eyes for the first time. I should at least thank him. He deserves that much. "Thanks for driving me home. I know I didn't exactly encourage it, but it was really great of you." She gave him a slight smile, hoping to show him that she was being genuine.

She was smiling at him. She still loved him! Feeling a sudden sense of encouragement, Chad grabbed Sonny's hands. "I would do anything for you. And I always will." His feelings for Sonny were in overdrive, and he leaned towards her, ready to reunite with his love and be together forever. He slowly crept forward, closed his eyes, and-

"What do you think you're doing?" Chad heard Sonny say, stepping away from him with a strange look on her face.

"I-I was…" Chad didn't know what to say. What was happening? "We love each other. We belong together."

Sonny just shook her head and stepped inside the doorway. "I don't forgive you Chad."

Chad was bewildered, struck completely silent.

"And I don't love you anymore."

The world seemed to grow a little fuzzy. "But, on the dance floor, we-"

"That was not what it seemed," Sonny sighed. "We were just wishing for what used to be, and not realizing what our situation is now. You cheated on me, and you broke my heart. Now…" She stopped for a moment, her face seeming unsure. However, she quickly reached some sort of resolve and returned to her unemotional stare. "Now, well I just don't know if I can trust you again."

Sonny began to close the door, and Chad sprang into action. "But Sonny, I didn't-"

"I don't want to hear excuses, especially fabricated ones." 

Chad's entire face hardened. "Well at least I didn't have women waiting in the wings just in case things didn't work out."

Sonny's mouth fell open. "I never did that!"

"So James simply happened to be available the second we split up?"

"I ONLY DATED HIM BECAUSE YOU MOVED ON TO THAT CRAZY SKANK!" Oops. "And you have NO right to judge me. I rejected James' advances, while you," she gave him a quick up-down, "you definitely didn't stop Scarlet."

Chad was blown away. Sonny didn't have men lined up. What had he done? "Sonny, wait, I'm sorr-"

Before he could say more, the door slammed shut, leaving Chad alone in the hallway.


	10. Peace Offering

Chad could barely focus on the road as he drove home, his mind going into overdrive. How could Chad have been so stupid? Of course Sonny would never treat him that way, she was an angel. He loved her, now more than ever.

But what could he do now? She would never love him again, after the terrible things he did (or at least she thought he did) and said…Heck, Chad wouldn't even take Chad back after what he said. He had lost his chance. She couldn't even bare the sight of him anymore.

Unless…

Unless Chad could make her fall for him again.

"That's it!" Chad exclaimed.

He would make Sonny love him again. He would make her see that he was worth another chance.

Chad pulled into his driveway, thrilled that he finally had a plan. Grabbing his phone from his pocket, he began to dial every number he could think of. He had a lot of work ahead of him.

But Sonny was worth it.

_The next morning…_

Tawni gave a cheerful sigh as she waltzed into the Prop House and flumped onto the couch. "Didn't you ADORE that party last night?" she asked Sonny, who was sitting solemnly in the chair across from her. "I swear, fifty guys must have asked me to dance!" After waiting several moments and receiving no reply, she added, "Hey, what's up with you Sonny?"

"Ugh, nothing Tawni," Sonny said quietly, hugging a large, penguin-shaped pillow. "Just tired, I guess."

Tawni's face grew stern. "Well then, there is no excuse for ignoring me and my wonderful stories about crowds of boys flocking around me. Just because you are jealous of me and my beauty doesn't mean that you can simply ignore common courtesy."

"Sorry, Tawni."

"Good job. Now, like I was saying, there was this one boy, and he-"

Nico and Grady suddenly crashed through the door, carrying a large package and interrupting Tawni's story (much to her chagrin).

"Hey Sonny," Nico called, his ever-cheerful face smiling down at her, "we found this package outside of your dressing room."

"How do you know it wasn't for me?" Tawni asked icily, desperately trying to conceal her curiosity.

"Um, it says 'To Sonny' on the top," Grady chimed in. You could always count on Grady to point out the obvious.

"For me?" Sonny perked up slightly. Who could be sending something to her? Did she order something online and forget about it? She grabbed the box and opened it. In it sat a large brown teddy bear, holding a large heart in one hand, a note in the other. Oh god.

"Who's it from?" Tawni asked, pretending to examine her cuticles while really making an effort to get a closer look.

Sonny opened the note, and slowly read its contents:

Dear Sonny,

I know things were really bad last night, and I feel bad about that. I hope you can accept me for who I am now. Please take this bear and know that I'll be around soon, in case you want to talk.

James

"Ugh, the nerve!" Sonny grunted, throwing the bear aside. "How can he think that a bear, albeit an adorable one, could make up for the fact that he cheated on me, and then neglected to even be remorseful about it?"

"James cheated on you?" the group all seemed to say in unison.

"Yep, we're done," Sonny said with conviction, crumpling the note in her hand. "I'm through with these stupid men. Chad, James…I'm done with both of them. Game over." She threw the note into the waste bin, enjoying the satisfaction it gave her to "throw James away".

Tired and frustrated, Sonny stormed into the hallways towards her dressing room, hoping to simply crash onto the couch and have a moment to herself to collect her thoughts. However, when she turned the corner, a much-too familiar face appeared, walking in the opposite direction.

"Oh! Hey," James said, looking as surprised as Sonny was. They both stopped, as they were caught in the awkward back-and-forth shuffle found so often in hallways. For a moment Sonny considered running the other direction, but she shot that down quickly, unwilling to let James win.

Sonny put on her best don't-mess-with-me face and stared right into James' eyes. She had to tell him what she thought of the stupid bear gesture, or she would kick herself for letting it go. "You'll have to do better if you want to apologize," she said coolly. "Next time, I'd start with an apology."

A confused look came over his face, and Sonny came to the conclusion that his tricks had never failed him before. "Okay…" he said softly, his eyebrows furrowed. "I'll…I'll see you around." He quickly maneuvered his way around Sonny and continued down the hall.

Sonny gave a great sigh of relief, feeling good that she was able to tell James how she felt. And by the looks of it, it was not the reaction he was expecting: an added bonus. There was nothing he could do to change her mind.

And it felt awesome.


	11. Courtship

_The next day…_

"Alright, this is getting ridiculous!" Sonny exclaimed, accepting yet another bouquet of violets from a delivery man. She had been forced to monitor her dressing room for the entire morning, as every half hour, another handsome man in a uniform would knock on her door and present yet another vase for her to find a place for on her side of the room.

She placed the latest arrangement on the corner of her desk, sitting down to wait for the next shipment to arrive. She crossed her arms, frustrated that gifts could cause so much stress.

Like clockwork, Sonny heard a knock on the door a half an hour later, and she sighed, slowly making her way over to the door to continue her mindless routine.

"Thanks!" she said, putting on her best artificial smile and taking the vase from the man. She began to close the door, but the man stopped it, pulling a piece of paper from his pocket.

"There's a note that comes with this one," he said with a smile (this one genuine) as he handed over the paper.

A note? That was definitely breaking the cycle.

Sonny mumbled some sort of thank you, closed the door and opened the note. On it, it read:

Dear Sonny,

Please take these violets (which I know are your favorite flower) as a token of my apologies to you. For everything. Everything I said or did, everything you thought my last note was lacking. I would never try to buy your heart back with a bear, nor would I expect you to fall that easily. All I ask is that you let me explain myself. Let me do the talking, not the bear.

James

"Oh please," Sonny laughed, throwing the note in the trash as she did yesterday. Did he really think that flowers would be a step up from a bear? It's the same cold, emotionless gesture. He may be new at the whole apology thing, but come on. Besides, Sonny's favorite flower was the yellow violet, not the blue-purple ones James was sending her (she loved the irony of the yellow).

He obviously knew nothing about her, and therefore made no effort to get to know her when they were together. Yet another reason why he was undeserving of this "chance to explain" that he begs of so.

"A waste of time." That was all she could say. She had wasted her time on him (and on Chad), and now he was wasting his time trying to get her back.

She wasn't going to crack, that was for certain.

_The next day…_

"Delivery for a Ms. Monroe!" a voice called from outside Sonny's dressing room. Feeling slightly better than the previous day in light of her conversation with James, Sonny skipped to the door and accepted the package. Marching back to her desk, she sat down, opened the box, and removed its contents.

"Cheese?" Tawni grimaced from behind. "Ew."

Sonny broke out into an enormous grin as she examined what was in front of her. Several wheels of Wisconsin cheese, each a different size and flavor. She was perpetually homesick, and little things that reminded her of where she came from were always treasured. Someone from home must have wanted to cheer her up. But why would someone from home be sending her something now? It wasn't National Cheese Lovers Day or anything (_that_ was January 20th).

Spotting a card at the bottom of the box, Sonny grabbed it and scanned it for a name:

Dear Sonny,

I hope this gives you a little taste of home (no pun intended). You don't give me enough credit for knowing you, really knowing you, and liking you for more than just your beautiful looks. Maybe this can help change that. Enjoy, and just know that if you thought I was giving up that easy, think again. Please call me.

Forever Yours,

James

Sonny pondered the note for a moment, examining her cheese wheels once, then twice, before crumpling it in her hand and shooting it into the trash can. As if some cheese scraps would change anything.

But she had to give James props. He was actually…thoughtful.

_The next day…_

"Five minutes to show time people!" the director called from behind the So Random! Set. One bad thing about filming live: being late was not an option.

Sonny adjusted her hot pink one-sie absentmindedly, trying to "get into the zone" before she had to go onstage. Sicky Vicky, though her best character, required a few moments of prep. She reached her hand up to her face, scratching her nose between her extremely geeky-

"Ohmigosh. Where are my glasses?" She couldn't believe it. Sonny was constantly forgetting those stupid glasses, leaving them at rehearsal, the Prop House, anywhere, really.

What was she supposed to do now? She didn't have time to go anywhere, and she certainly couldn't go on live television without them. She was completely screwed.

Doing the only thing she could think of, Sonny crouched down into a fetal position, hoping that if she just stayed there long enough, her problems would go away. She should have known problems like Marshall were impossible to avoid.

"What on Earth do you think you're doing, Sonny?" Marshall exclaimed, looking like his usual stressed-out self. "We're on in…" he checked his watch, "three and a half minutes!"

How was she going to explain this? "I know, Marshall, but you see, I lost my glasses and-"

"Hey boss," a nervous looking intern interrupted, seeming unsure of what he was doing. "Some man says he has a package for Sonny Monroe that he needs to deliver."

"A package!" Sonny could see Marshall's stress levels rising, if that was possible. "We're minutes away from show time!"

The intern seemed to debate that for a moment, and then said meekly, "But he says it's urgent. He has explicit instructions for Sonny to open it BEFORE the show."

"But, uh, I…I don't…fine. Whatever. Give it to her. But just be ready by the time the show starts." He took a deep breath and went off to talk to the rest of the cast.

"Here you go," the boy said, handing over the small box. He pointed at the bold print on the label. "See? URGENT."

By this point, Sonny knew a James package when she saw one. In the midst of an accessory crisis, the last thing she wanted to do was read another cocky, unremorseful note and stare at a Wisconsin cowbell (or something similar).

Sonny sighed, putting the box on a chair nearby and hoping to return to her former state of complete panic.

"Um, I don't mean to be pushy," the intern said, this time more stern. He was still there? "But I was finally given a job to do here, and it was to make you open that box. So please, make my life easier and just open it."

Sonny sighed. What the heck. Her career as Sicky Vicky was already ruined, so why not humor the kid? She quickly tore the box open and let the contents of the package slide onto her hand.

No, it couldn't be. She examined the object in front of her again.

How?

Sonny cradled the pair of horrid, thick glasses in her hands, still not believing what she was seeing. How did James know? Who would think to do this? Her heart was beating a mile a minute.

"ONE MINUTE!" Sonny heard the director boom. "PLACES PEOPLE!"

Quickly fashioning on her glasses, Sonny hurried to her position on set, taking with her the small scrap of paper that she found at the bottom of the package. She ripped it open, searching for answers, but finding:

Dear Sonny,

Don't freak out. I told you I knew you better than you thought I did. Heck, I know you better than you do! Break a leg, and know that you're biggest fan will always be there when you need him. I just wish you would call him once and a while!

All my love,

James

Sonny giggled at the note, quickly stuffing it into her pocket as the ten second countdown began to commence. Not only had he saved her skit, but he had made her laugh for the first time in what seemed like forever. He was relentless, shameless, and all-around annoying, and yet, somehow, Sonny still found herself giggling like a kid at his messages and thinking about him. Just him. And for the first time, thinking of him did not conjure up the feelings of hatred and regret that had plagued her for so long. Instead, there was something quite different. Something completely new.

She had never seen this side of James, and she had to say, she kind of liked it.


End file.
